The birthday guide: free food in Antigonish
/It’s your birthday! You most likely have been in bed for longer than usual, and you may or may not be hungover from late night birthday-related festivities, but either way today is YOUR day. You are hungry and it’s time to “TREAT ‘YO SELF”. The first thing to pop into your head might be: “Where or how am I going to treat myself? And for the lowest price?”
Well, my friends - you’re in luck! Contrary to popular belief, Antigonish is actually one of the best places on the East Coast to spend your birthday. Whether you believe that claim or not, your mom is (probably) not here to celebrate with you, you can’t go bungee jumping, go shopping at a fabulous shopping mall, or anything else crazy and lavish, so you may as well work with what you got and take advantage of Antigonish’s abundance of FREE BIRTHDAY FOOD. Yes, that’s right – those two beautiful words FREE and FOOD next to each other in all their glory.
Your first stop is the Snow Queen family restaurant on James Street. Stop in for a nice plate of good old fashioned breakfast. Eggs any way you like them, your choice of ham, sausage, or bacon, and some pretty kick-ass home fries. I highly recommend taking this excellent start to your special day one step further by tossing a milkshake on the side (trust me, all breakfast should come with milkshakes – milkshakes are just awesome). But wait… it’s your birthday and you’ve slept until 2pm! No need to worry, as Snow Queen will serve you free breakfast all day long, so you can go whenever your little heart desires.
If you choose not to take my advice and want to save your ice cream fix for later you can always wander over to everyone’s favourite dairy joint- Dairy Queen. There, you can receive one of their famous Blizzard creations for no cost at all.
At this point I suggest that you go back to bed and have a lie down. Put a cold compress on your head, maybe get someone to massage your feet and prepare for the next big step in your free-food-birthday escapade. If you’re hungry again, Pizza Delight serves a free birthday meal, too.
Your next stop of the day is just a quick skip out of town, to Mother Webbs. Time to eat some ‘Nish-famous steak and wash it all down with an ice cold beer – free! But don’t fall over yet! You still have one very important stop. Hop back in the car, and tell your trusty driver (most likely one of your most loyal buddies) that the next fabulous destination lies back in the heart of Antigonish, at the Townhouse Pub on College Street.
Let’s face it, by this point I doubt you have a whole lot of room left, but it’s your birthday and you aren't about to stop now. The final stop, either Townhouse or Boston Pizza, will give you a free piece of dessert. I dare say it’s the perfect cherry to top off your birthday adventure. At the Townhouse, you can choose from the following: perfectly crispy Polish cheesecake cooked to pastry perfection; hot, gooey, and delicious chocolate bread pudding; some super tasty and super vegan dark chocolate tart; or a Townhouse favourite, the Eton Mess, a combo of meringue, whipped cream, fresh fruit and homemade ice cream.
Alright, it’s over time to roll yourself home, or, if your faithful partner is still around, get them to carry you. You may feel physically ill or you may have post-gorge remorse but no need to fret, because there is no better day to indulge in some good old guilt-free gluttony especially when it doesn’t hurt your wallet. Happy birthday to you!
